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The math of Mitt Romney meets Newtmentum

01/19/12 01:43 PMUpdated 09/06/13 07:02 AM

The latest survey from Public Policy Polling (pdf) has Newt Gingrich leading Mitt Romney in South Carolina by 34 to 28. The pollsters argue that Mitt Romney is holding steady, that Rick Santorum is falling and that undecideds are swinging toward Mr. Gingrich. The former House speaker is also up, much more narrowly, in a string of polls. PPP argues that this is not a case of Mitt Romney imploding – the pollsters say he’s holding steady.

Still, I’m intrigued by the video posted on Think Progress by Travis Waldron and Scott Keyes, in which they asked South Carolina voters about Mitt Romney and money. Scott says they got about half the interviews at a Gingrich rally, where you’d expect to find people who are voting for Mr. Gingrich and who might find Mr. Romney’s talk about his wealth alienating. The rest of the interviews, Scott says, came from a Personhood USA forum, which is a much more open field.

Asked whether the $374,000 in speaking fees that Mr. Romney called “not very much,” these South Carolinians clearly think the candidate doesn’t share their perspective. Hard telling if they’re representative, but one says:

It would take me, my wife and I, it would take us five years to make that kind of money.

That’s an idea people seem more able to relate to. “I’m a college prof, w PhD from top ten school,” @GeffBowden tweets. “I make $38k/yr. 10yrs to reach $374k. But, Im not rich bc its my fault–Cain.”